Lymington sailor announces return to Olympic circuit

Could you or your business support 3 times British National Champion, Hannah Snellgrove, on her Olympic journey?

Lymington’s Laser Radial sailor Hannah Snellgrove has announced her return to the Olympic circuit after two years away from international competition. The 27 year old, who represents both the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and the Lymington Town Sailing Club when she competes, is a three-time British National Champion, and remains the only woman ever to hold that title.

Although her parents had never sailed, Hannah benefited from local expertise, initially learning to sail at Salterns Sailing Club before moving up through the Royal Lymington Yacht Club junior and youth training.

In her previous time as a full time athlete Hannah placed in the top 10 at European Championships, EUROSAF Cups and World Cups, in the top 15 at a World Championships, and qualified in 2014 and 2015 for the first two World Cup finals reserved for the top 20 sailors in each Olympic class.

In her time away from international competition, she has worked part time as a journalist, and as a sailing coach, and has helped to build up the RS Tera and Laser youth sailing programmes at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

"Hannah is a brilliant sailor and a dedicated coach, so inspirational. She manages to combine passing on her sailing knowledge, inspiring and coaching next generation of sailors, with the steely determination to be the best in her own boat." shared one of the many parents of children coached by Hannah.

Training hard to reach the Olympics

Hannah has been a self-supported athlete since April 2015 but has never given up on the Olympic dream.

With only nine days on the water in the Laser Radial in the previous year, she jumped back into the boat for the 2017 World Championships last August and was still able to compete near the front of an international fleet of full timers, finishing 26th. She followed that up with a 14th place at the Europeans a month later, and achieved multiple top ten finishes in races in both these major regattas.

Hannah said: "Following these achievements in 2017, I was inspired to recommence my Olympic campaign. My goal for this year is to achieve international regatta personal best finishes."

She spent the first month of this year out in Miami training and competing in the World Cup.

Since returning to the UK at the end of January, she has been putting hours in at the gym at the crack of dawn before work, working a full day, visiting the gym again on the way home, and then putting her programme and campaign together late into the evenings, building up a great support team ready for the coming season.

Hannah achieved her impressive results in the two major regattas of 2017 while working, and with no RYA funding, and she is searching for financial backing to be able to compete against professional athletes who are supported by their national governing bodies.